Читать книгу 77 Things to Know Before Getting a Cat - Susan Ewing M. - Страница 31

The Japanese Bobtail is a loving, friendly breed that enjoys a game of fetch and is a good candidate for agility. The breed has been known in Japan for hundreds of years but first appeared in the United States in the late 1900s, where it is still relatively rare. Its most distinguishing feature is its bobtail, and no two tails are ever alike. Its hind legs are longer than its front legs, and it comes in shorthaired and longhaired varieties.

Japanese Bobtails come in solid colors, bicolor, vans, and calicos (called mi-ke in Japan). While more bicolored and van-patterned Bobtails are registered in the United States, the calico is considered the luckiest color in Japan—although any Bobtail is thought of as lucky and able to bring prosperity and happiness to his owner. The popular type of statue called maneki neko, or “beckoning cat,” is a Bobtail, and many Japanese shopkeepers have these statues in their stores to attract good people.

Japanese Bobtails weigh between 6 and 10 pounds (2.7–4.5 kg) and have a life expectancy of nine to fifteen years. They have no major health problems, and the gene associated with the short tail does not produce any spinal abnormalities.

Havana Brown

Japanese Bobtail